


A casual run-in

by Raekeiko



Category: Homestuck
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-28
Updated: 2011-11-28
Packaged: 2017-10-26 15:58:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/285138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raekeiko/pseuds/Raekeiko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John runs into an alternate timeline Dave whilst trying to look for Alpha Dave!</p>
            </blockquote>





	A casual run-in

**Author's Note:**

> I tried to write sadstuck! They're probably all out of character and I apologize a lot like seriously but it's my very first fanfic and some people i've showed it to said they liked it so i'm posting it here just to show that I will indeed by writing many fics. UvU  
> Special thank you to my editor who I will only name as Jade since she doesn't have an account here but if you see this bro thanks for editing it!

“OOF!”, wailed a certain black haired young man as he was thrown back by a uranium imp, “Tough little jerks these are.” thought the young man on the ground.  
But with a good wind and a leap, John made that imp disappear in no time flat, he picked up the grist that came with the kill and looked for signs of any other imps, seeing none, he continued walking forward, looking for someone in particular.  
“C’mon Dave, where are you..” John said, mostly to himself.  
Earlier on, John had received a message full of excitement from Jade Harley, who was watching John's progress from her crystal ball shades.

— gardenGnostic [GG] began pestering ectoBiologist [EB] at ?:?? —  
GG: john!!! i need to tell you something  
EB: hey jade!  
GG: hi!!  
EB: so what's up?  
GG: do you know where you are right now??  
EB: um... not exactly.  
GG: well that doesnt matter, i see dave near you!!!!  
EB: really? where?  
GG: hes a few hundred feet away, i think…but still pretty close!  
EB: hehe ok, i'll find him.  
GG: say hi to him for me!! :D  
EB: can’t you just pester him?  
GG: well... i guess, but its funner this way!  
EB: ok, i'll tell him you said hi.  
GG: okay!!! thanks john! :)  
— ectoBiologist [EB] ceased pestering gardenGnostic [GG] at ?:?? —

Thinking back to the conversation, John hadn’t really wondered about how Jade saw himself, or if he was still watching her, but right now he was going to find Dave, so the problem of Jade's stalker qualities had to be set aside.  
John speed-walked forward to make sure he didn’t miss Dave when a brilliant idea hit him, 'Hey, wait, why don’t I just fly to him?'. It seemed the heir of breath could also be the heir of great ideas!  
John leaped into the air speedily, feeling the wind hit his face, he traveled a hundred feet or so up in the sky, and looked across the landscape in hopes of finding Dave. It was then that John saw what looked like a brawl not too far from him, more uranium imps and a few ogres... and something or someone else, not too hard to beat, John decided to go beat those nuisances before continuing his search for Dave. He decided to free fall from his height so that he’d pick up enough speed to send all the foes away with one hammer bang!  
But just as he was nearing the ground he saw in the midst of the villians a very injured... Dave! John dispatched the imps and ogres and rushed to the aid of his bro.  
“Dave! Are you alright? What happened, man?” John said as he walked up to Dave, who in turn sputtered a few nonsensical words while breathing heavily before saying  
“Yeah, I'm fucking fantastic, not like I have this fancy-ass gash on my side to look like a gentleman or anything, nope. This gash is just a decorative item on my freakin' organs.” Dave replied, a hint of pain in his voice. Christ, does he always have to act so calm and cool all the time? John takes notice of the wound which Dave was speaking of. It was slashed right up the far end of his belly, and quite wide at that. It looked gruesome and painful, like he was whipped constantly for days and days on. John could feel the tears welling up in his eyes just from this sight, he hated seeing his best bro like this.

“Oh God, Dave, what happened?” asked John, worrying and wondering about his friend.  
”Look, it's no big deal, I'm already going to die, so you can just get on your way, alright?”  
“What do you mean you're already going to die?” John then started getting frantic, what had happened to Dave?  
“I was fighting Jack Noir, and I guess I made a bad decision... Doesn't matter, there's another Dave, an alpha, not too far from here, just leave me be, man, I'm already doomed.”  
“No! I'm not just leaving you here to die! You're my buddy...”  
“Didn't I just say I'm going to die anyway? God damn it, Egbert, this is all carefully constructed time loop bullshit. There's nothing to be done now, so just go find alpha Dave.”  
“I said no!” John felt angry and on the verge of tears. 'How could dave think so negative?'. Dave was having a hard time standing and looked ready to collapse any second, so John grabbed the other side of Dave’s waist, the part that wasn’t injured, and held him up so he wouldn’t collapse.  
“John, what are you still doing here. Just go man, it's fine. I already know I'm doomed so it doesn't matter.” Dave spoke with confidence, but his shaking and clenching hands said otherwise.  
“I'm not leaving, Dave.” John retorted defiantly, "I'm not going to let you die like this."  
“Hah, fine. I was just trying to spare you from watching your best bro die, but that's fine too.”.  
Dave couldn’t support himself any longer, he collapsed and dragged John with him, landing in a mangled heap. The only thing heard was “ow” from Dave.  
They sat for awhile in silence. Dave thinking about the game and what choice he had made wrong, John thinking about how his best bro was about to die, even though he knew there was another Dave still alive and well, it still made him sad that one Dave was dying.  
“Hey, Dave."  
“What?"  
“Remember a long time ago, when we tried to watch Con-Air together on Livestream?”  
“Yeah, that was a bust.”  
“Haha, yeah, but I remember I was happy anyway, cause I was going to watch it with my best bro, I would probably just spoil it all before the movie actually started though, hehehe.”  
“Too bad I couldn't see it, huh?”  
“Dave, you were lying about falling asleep that day right before we watched it, weren’t you?”  
“What? How could you accuse me of such a thing, John, I'm so deeply offended. Your distrust in me burns more than this gash at my side, which is a fucking bitch, ow...”  
John frowned, feeling overwhelming pity for his best friend. He at least wanted him to go peacefully. He decided that Dave should at least be a bit comfortable, so he rested Dave’s head on his own lap and stroked his hair like a mother would do.  
“John."  
“Hm?”  
“This is pretty gay.”  
“Not a homo.”  
“Yeah, sure, alright. Whatever you say, John.”  
John thought it must be working at least a bit, Dave hadn’t winced or clenched the hand he had over his wound since John positioned him this way.

“Hey, Dave... I'm sorry if I ever got on your nerves."  
“What are you talking about, man, you're my best bro, even if you are a derp sometimes. That's why I like you.”  
“So you were always okay with me being a derp and into Nic Cage and apparently clowns?”  
“Yeah, I mean you got your man crushes and your clowns, and have some hatred for Betty Crocker for no feasible reason, and it's what makes you John... and I like John, so that's all cool with me.”  
“I kind of feel like you’re trying to tell me something.”  
Dave hesitated for a moment, and all that was heard from him was a barely noticeable sigh. He then spoke up again.  
“Yeah, John. I like you.”  
“Hehehe, I like you too, Dave.”  
“No... I mean, I like you, like... romantically like," Dave began. This surprised John quite a bit, and a light shade of pink brushed against his cheeks, "I think you're fucking adorable. Like the way I'm on your lap right now makes me feel feelings that aren't cool or ironic, and are feelings you just shouldn't have for your best bro, but I got them anyway, John.”  
“What?! Wait so then... you l-love me?”  
“Were you not listening to what I said?"  
“No, no, I was! It's just… why did you never tell me?”  
“I didn't think it was something you should say to your bro, and you wouldn't really care being so hetero and shit.”  
“What?”  
“Nevermind. The point is, I thought since I'm going to die on you anyway, I might as well tell you.”  
John couldn’t think of what to say after that, he tried to come up with something to wrap his head around but just could not form sentences or proper thoughts, he never really thought about liking anyone that way, I mean really, he’s so young! But that didn’t mean it didn’t make him happy knowing Dave liked him that way, he didn’t know any other confusing, strange feeling, so he hung onto the happiness it gave him instead.  
“I know it's awkward, and stupid, and, fuck... that was a really shitty, moronic thing to say, huh?” Dave stuttered out more to break the silence than explain his feelings.  
“Um, well, it's not stupid... I mean, I wouldn’t really know about anything romantic and stuff, but it makes me pretty happy that you think of me that way... I mean, I dunno, I guess I feel special."  
“You have always been special to me, John.”  
John once again felt the blood rush up to his face. He felt so many fuzzy things from just those simple words, he had never felt so happy in his entire life. The great Dave Strider thought he, John Egbert, was special.  
“Oh, wow... Uh, thanks, Dave...”  
“Your face looks like a tomato, dude.”  
“What?! No it doesn't!” Dave let out a chuckle.  
“Haha, yeah it does- agh, fuck..." Dave once again uttered a cry of pain, cool kid style of course, before grabbing at his side again and spitting out a bit of blood. John worriedly and instinctively sat Dave up and held him in his arms.  
“This is pretty gay, too.” Dave managed to cough out.  
“Shut up, Dave.” John said, not caring about what it looked like. His friend had just confessed a huge secret to him and was about to die, the least he could do was hug him goodbye.

John held Dave a bit away from him so that he could look at his face, his shades obstructing his eyes of course.  
“I can't believe you kept these things, and actually wear them around and stuff...” John said, directed to Dave’s shades.  
“I got ‘em from a special bro of mine. How could I not wear them to show just how gay I am?”  
John laughed a little at Dave’s response before hugging him one last time, he didn’t think this Dave would last much longer.  
“Pretty sure I'm going to go any second now, so bye Egderp, it's been fun and all that shit.” The pain in his voice was much more clear now.  
“Yeah, pretty fun and stuff...” John felt tears at the sides of his eyes knowing that Dave was dying in his arms, and he couldn’t do anything to help him since he was already doomed.  
“C'mon John, I already told you alpha Dave is near here. Stop crying, there was nothing you could do.”  
“It just makes me sad seeing my best bro die, even if there is another one!"  
Dave didn’t know what to do, he certainly didn’t want his last moments seeing John cry so he did the only thing he knew to do at this moment in time, which is of course kiss your best bro in the most gayest of fashions.  
John here didn’t really know what Dave was doing leaning into his face like that and, oh my God, he just kissed John right on the lips, who proceeded to blush continuously during and plenty of time after the kiss.  
“Sorry, I didn't want to see you make a mess of yourself with tears.”  
“... Uh, um... o-okay, Dave." John had managed to say something after that, it's a miracle.

Dave coughed again, and more blood dripped down from his mouth. Christ, he looked like he was in so much pain. It strained John to see him like this.  
“I’d like to reiterate before saying this, I am not a homosexual.”  
“Okay."  
“I love you Dave, no homo”  
Dave stared at John for the longest while before laughing loudly and with plenty of finesse. He hugged John one last time and told him, "Don't ever change, John.”  
"I won't, Dave.”

And just like that, doomed Dave had earned his doomed title. John was glad that he could have at least made Dave laugh with his last breathe, he wanted to get up and find Alpha Dave, he wanted to let go of the lifeless  
body of his best bro, but he couldn't. He couldn’t stop the tears from falling onto that face, onto those lips that were just on his a few moments ago, so he held Dave’s body closer instead and wept on his shoulder, knowing it didn’t matter much now.


End file.
